BUDAPEST DOOMED

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 November 1944, Page 5

BUDAPEST DOOMED

RUSSIANS IN OUTSKIRTS TANKS AND PLANES BUSY LONDON, November 4. The Moscow radio reports that Russian tanks with air support are breaking into the outskirts of Budapest. “Nothing can save Budapest now.” said the radio late to-night.' “The Russians are overcoming the enemy’s resistance in the battle for the capital. Red Army mobile infantry, supported by artillery, are gaining ground yard by yard.” “Russian tanks entered the southern outskirts of the city,” says the Hungarian radio, “but later they were repulsed.” “Russian tanks have swept round Budapest to the north and cut the German escape routes at the rail junction of Ujpest, two miles from the capital. The hour of decision seems near,” says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. Scores of low flying Russian aeroplanes are ranging over the battle zone up to the walls of Budapest, bombing and gunning the disorganised Germans and Hungarians. Cossacks have overtaken and sheared through the fleeing enemy units with their sabres. Newly-arrived German reserves are being smashed and captured so rapidly that they are just stepping straight from Germany into Russian prison camps.” The German military commentator' (von Hammer) says the Russians have thrown sevep tank divisions into the battle for Budapest and by material preponderance have made deep penetrations on the Germanright flank. “Ceaseless rain which has damaged the roads and turned the fields into swamps has slowed down the Russian advance from the captured towns of Czegled and Szolnok,” says the Moscow correspondent of the British United Press. “The Russians east of Szolnok are tightening thenring round the enemy pocket in the town of Torokszt Miklos. A similarsituation prevails in the town of Miskun Felegyhazy, which is ringed with captured areas.”

ANOTHER JUNCTION CAPTURED

Mr. Stalin, in an order of the day addressed to Marshal Malinovsky, said: “Forces of the second Ukrainian front in fierce fighting to-day captured the town and large, railway junction of Szolnok, an important German strongpoint on the Tisa River.” The order names 24 generals whose troops have distinguished themselves. A Russian communique says that forces of the second Ukrainian front have captured Czegled and more than 40 places between the Tisa and the Danube. The correspondent of the Columbia Broadcasting System- said that the latest repo'rts from the Hungarian front placed Marshal Malinovsky’s main forces advancing from the east now within sight of > Pest, which is on the eastern bank of the Danube, forming the eastern half of the capital, while Cossack horsemen, racing northward across the flat Hungarian Plain from the Kecskemet area, were already within sight of Buda, . Reuter’s correspondent in Moscow states that a general German withdrawal from Hungary appears imminent. The Germans will try to keep the Hungarian Army together for the defence of Austria. The correspondent adds: “In spite of its heavy punishment during the retreat all the way from Voronezh the Hungarian Army is still a valuable ally for the enemy.” . i ... , The correspondent of the British United Press in Moscow says that prisoners taken on the Hungarian front state that half the German Army’s motor-vehicles were lost in the recent battles between the Tisa and the, Danube. PANIC IN BUDAPEST. LONDON, November 5. Unconfirmed reports which reached London state that the Hungarian Government has left Budapest, ana the so-called Hungarian Peace Forces are controlling the city s industrial areas. Street fighting is reported to be occurring. The Bucharest radio said that a revolution was in full swing in Budapest. “Street demonstrators in Budapest are demanding that it should be declared an open city, and also the* removal of all troops and war equipment from the capital m order to save it,” says the Exchange Telegraph’s Zurich correspondent. “It is reported by telephone from Budapest that all the . municipal authorities have been dissolved, fl here is an atmosphere of panic and the police are unable to maintain order. Refugees fleeing from the city in an increasing stream are unable to find shelter in the overcrowded villages as the troops guarding the Austrian frontier are forcibly preventing the entry of refugees.” . The Budapest radio on I riday broadcast a dramatic appeal lor calm. A woman announcer had just announced the second act of a play when a male voice broke in, addressing the people of Budapest: “Don’t listen to rumours, whether they are bad or good. The war will be won by the people with the best nerves. The enemy is intentionally spreading good news, which, when it is unconfirmed, brings despair to the German peoples. The great Fuehrer has promised us that he will not let us down.” A new Hungarian decree deprives Jews of* all property and leaves them with only a fortnight s f ood anct firing. The German News Agency has announced that the Germans have taken prisoner General Viest, the leader of Czechoslovak Partisans who was formerly a member of the Czechoslovak Government.

ENEMY COUNTER-ATTACKS. (Rec. 11.5) LONDON, Noy. 5. The Russians, after achieving a mass crossing of the Tisa River, are throwing more divisions into the battle for Budapest, says Reuter’s Moscow correspondent. The Russians are switching the weight of their attacks north of Kecskemet in an effort to break through /into the eastern approaches * of the city. The Hungarians are offering increased resistance to the Russian blows and there has been some recovery from the collapse which threatened two days ago; the Germans and Hungarians are now counter-attacking. It is evident that the onset of bad weather has saved the city from immediate occupation. The Germans and Hungarians are using the reprieve to strengthen the city’s internal defences. The struggle may continue after the Russians break into the city. . Outside the city -the heavy rains are turning the battle zone into a sea of mud. The Vienna correspondent of the Stockholm “Aftonbladet” says that two battalions of Viennese conscripts for the Volkssturm have been thrown into the battle for Budapest without medical examination. . The German News Agency military colnmentator, describing the fierceness of the battle, reports that the little town Vesches, on the Danube south-west of Budapest, has already changed hands twice. Torrents of shells from the Soviet | batteries are descending on Budapest, says a German war reporter in a disI patch broadcast by the German Overseas Radio. The cannonade goes on for hours without interruption, adds

the reporter. Shells explode everywhere, and all life in the city has stopped. THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES are blocking the roads leading west. With the dusk the desperate flight stops, as nobody dares to leave the shelters, cellars and crypts. The artillery fire is not interrupted,. even when scores of Russian bombers attack the city, dropping high-explo-sives and incendiaries, which are causing great devastation. The Ankara radio, quoting the Turkish News Agency’s Vienna correspondent. reports that three heavy explosions in the rush hour, yesterday, blew up St. Margaret’s Bridge connecting Buda and Pest over St. Margaret’s Island. Tramcars, motorcars and pedestrians were blown into the river, causing casualties which are not yet counted. Boats of every kind went to the assistance of .the people in the river. Charges of dynamite placed at vital points to destroy the bridge in case of necessity are thought to have exploded by accident, but it is possible that saboteurs were responsible. OVER 10,000 PRISONERS. (Rec. 1.0 p.m.) LONDON, November 5. Russians in the Budapest direction between Tisa and the Danube continued the offensive and captured a number of inhabited localities, says tonight’s Soviet communique. Verified data show that the Russians on November 2,3, and 4 took 3000 German and Hungarians prisoner. Towards the close of November 4 the Russians had taken 10,518 Germans and Hungarians in this area. . The captures mentioned in the communique include Taksony, six miles south of Budapest, Vasad 14 miles south-east of Budapest, Fokoru on the west bank of the Tisa, five miles north-east of Szolnok, and Varnyas three miles north-east of Czegled. The “Daily Telegraph’s ’ Stockholm correspondent reports that a workers revolt flared up in Budapest’s northern factory suburb, Uppest, where the workers are still holding out despite savage measures by the German S.S. The workers are reported to have occupied Mannfredweiss factory which is the city’s largest armament works. There is fighting also around the radio building on Chepel Island in the Danube north of Budapest. The Germans still hold Budapest. They refuse to allow a declaration that it is an open C 1 Although reports from Budapest radio state that Russian tanks haye entered the Hungarian capital, no confirmation comes from the Soviet communique. FIGHTING IN E. PRUSSIA. LONDON, November 4. _ “The Russians' in East Prussia have repulsed German infantry and tank attacks north and south ol Goldap, and have improved their positions. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent reports that the first battle of Winter is being fought on snowcovered ground around Goldap, where the Germans have launched a mighty effort to crack the Russian llnes ' LATER. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says large-scale battles are inpro°ress all around the small East Prussian settlements between Gumbmnen and Goldap for the initiative on the northern front. The battle is drawing in an increasing number ol troops, tanks-and guns from both sides. The Russians have slightly improved their positions south of Gumbinnen. . also north of Warsaw, but only after the heaviest gun fire and mortar fire. Russians in East Prussia, north ana south, of Goldap, repelled a counterattack launched by large formations of enemy tanks and infantry, and inflicted heavy losses of men and materials. RUSSIA’S FOOD SHORTAGE. *' WASHINGTON, November 4. Lieutenant-Colonel Ralph Olmstead, Deputy War Food Administrator, has just returned from Russia. He said the food situation there was unbelievably difficult. The Soviet Union would require food imports for at. least three years after the war. Russians, at present, were existing on black bread, potatoes and cabbage. They cot<l use ten times the amount of-their present food imports if ships were available. Lieut.-Col. Olmstead said that he found the British diet, was adequate, but lacking in variety and quality. For the British the food imports alter the war would require to be maintained at their present level. FRIENDSHIP”WITH BRITAIN (Rec. 12.15) LONDON, Nov. 5. The peoples of the Soviet Union considered friendship and co-opera-tion with Britain to be matters ol profound meaning and great practical importance, said the Soviet Ambassador, M. Gusev, in a speech at a victory rally in London. He added that there was every reason to believe that Anglo-Soviet friendship, cemented by the blood shed by thenbest sons, would prove a lasting contribution'to the good of their two peoples and all peace-loving nations. * The Anglo-Soviet Treaty of Alliance signed in 1942 would continue to be a factor of great importance in post-war reconstruction. The war had destroyed many prejudices against the Soviet Union, but a great deal remained to be done so that the British people might know the truth about the Soviet Union.

FRICTION WITH SWISS. LONDON, November 5. Moscow radio says: The Soviet Foreign Minister has announced that Russia has refused a request from the Swiss Government tor the establishment of diplomatic relations. This is on the ground that Switzerland thusfar has nowise repudiated its former hostile pro-Fascist policy towards the Soviet Union. POLISH FRONTIERS (Rec. 12.15) LONDON, Nov 5 There were concessions the I olisn Government was unable to make, clelared M. Henryk Strasburge, who is Minister for State in London of the Polish Government, in a speech at Cairo ' “Lwow and Vilna are perhaps dearer to Polish hearts than Warsaw itself The famous Curzon Line, which we are asked to accept as the new eastern frontier would amputate half our territory. Poland cannot concede the oilfields to Russia without risking economic destruction. This doesn’t mean we are not ready to accent certain rectifications, but these mist be reasonable, and must be carried out simultaneously in East and West.”